Dillenia L.

Trees. Leaves large, sometimes stipulate; petioles channelled above. Flowers showy, solitary or in terminal racemes, sometimes fasciculate on short shoots; bracts and bracteoles caducous, if present. Sepals 5, spreading and herbaceous at first, persistent, tightly packed, enlarged and fleshy in fruit. Petals 5, yellow or while, larger than sepals, caducous. Stamens numerous, free; filaments equal or unequal in length; anthers linear with parallel loculi opening by apical pores or longitudinal slits; the inner ones erect and introrse; the outer ones recurved and extrorse. Carpels 5 - 20, borne on a conical receptacle; styles radiating; ovules 4 - 80. Pseudocarps indehiscent, enclosed by enlarged thickened sepals; seeds exarillate.

Madagascar and Seychelles in Africa and India to S.E. Asia, Australia and Fiji Islands; ca 60 species, 7 species in India.

Literature. BRANDIS, D. (1900) The Indian species of Dillenia. Indian For. 26: 429 - 431. CORNER, E. J. H. (1978) The inflorescence of Dillenia. Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 36: 341 - 353. HOOGLAND, R. D. (1952) A revision of the genus Dillenia. Blumea 7: 1 - 145, ff. 1 - 11.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

1a. Flowers 15 - 20 cm across; carpels 14 - 20; fruits 8 - 10 cm across

4. Dillenia indica

b. Flowers 3 - 12 cm across; carpels 5 - 12; fruits up to 3.5 cm across

2

2a. Stamens equal in length

3. Dillenia bracteata

b. Stamens unequal, inner ones longer

3

3a. Flowers white

6. Dillenia retusa

b. Flowers yellow

4

4a. Flowers up to 5 cm across; anthers opening by longitudinal slits

5

b. Flowers 10 - 12 cm across; anthers opening by apical pores

6

5a. Flowers 2.5 - 3 cm across; pedicels without bracteoles

5. Dillenia pentaqyna

b. Flowers 4 - 5 cm across; pedicels with caducous bracteoles

7. Dillenia scabrella

6a. Outer sepals 15 x 12 mm; inner ones 18 x 14 mm; outer stamens ca 7 mm long

1. Dillenia andamanica

b. Outer sepals at least 25 x 18 mm; inner ones 30 x 20 mm; outer stamens at least 10 mm long

2. Dillenia aurea

List of Lower Taxa